When Santiago Beruete proposed Turner Publishing manuscript Horticulture. Philosophical History of the Gardens’ (2016) it stirred attention. It argued that Anglo-Saxons favored nature writing, while Spain did not yet have a niche for it. The work became a big success and was followed by Verdolatría and Aprendivoros, which eventually presented A piece of land. The collaboration with Peter Wohlleben, author of The Secret Life of Trees, sparked a green wave in bookstores.
What themes do these works touch? The common thread runs through scholars from different fields. Italian neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso speaks of a future shaped by plants, and the idea that the plant world is a global network. Philosopher Byung Chul Han has explored contemplative life and our relationship with the earth. Anthropologist Edward Kohn has examined how forests think, while philologist Marco Martella has written about small worlds that reveal a larger order. The through line is a call to step back from a central, dominant view of nature. Engaging with plants invites new ways of relating to the earth and its inhabitants.
To sow is to become more human
The garden endures as one of the few sacred symbols in a largely secular world. It stands as a mirror of lost paradise and, at the same time, a quiet act of resistance. Planting saplings becomes a stance against compulsive consumerism and the endless drive for more. A small patch, even a balcony pot, matters. Those who view the earth as a field of consumption find themselves challenged by gardeners who see it as a shared responsibility.
The garden endures as a sacred symbol in a secular world
Gardens and orchards turn into classrooms of ethical values such as patience, humility, perseverance, hope, and gratitude. When plants face a challenge, they respond by collaborating and adapting. This is a form of plant resilience within reach for everyone. It is a mindset Beruete emphasizes, echoed by Mancuso as well. The idea that humans stand above the rest of nature is simplistic. If life seeks the continuity of species, humans have existed for about 300,000 years while many other life forms endure far longer. The question of who holds superiority is left open.
Opportunities to rethink our stance
Plans exist to bring these ideas to a broader audience in Spanish this fall through Seix Barral, with Sapien Plant. Paco Calvo, a professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science and director of the Minimal Intelligence Laboratory at the University of Murcia, notes that studying plants in the lab reshapes what matters. The traditional focus on the brain is not enough; understanding plant intelligence opens new questions about cognition. What matters is the broader picture, and plants offer a path to rethink humanity itself.
Philosopher Michael Marder, a researcher at the University of the Basque Country, expands this view. He argues that narratives about Western thought should move toward recognizing the plant as a foundational presence in the psyche. The dialogue touches on Aristotle and the idea of a vegetative soul that governs fundamental life processes. Environmental concerns, from plastics to nuclear waste, underscore the need to return to deeper metaphysical reflections.
When we examine the roots of the human psyche, the plant sits at the base
Emanuele Coccia, author of The Life of Plants, adds that a plant not only harvests solar energy but also releases oxygen as byproducts of its life. Plants give themselves to others and live with others without domination. The most important relationship today suggests a mode of gardening that respects difference and interdependence rather than domination or exploitation.